Lilac
by senshinurse
Summary: Yesterday she loved him, tomorrow she would mourn him - today she would kill him. A combination Silver Millennium and present day telling of Mars and Jadeite.


I don't know why the formatting gets so messed up when I upload to fanfiction, but hopefully with the update I've fixed it. Otherwise I give up.

Hi! I was inspired to write this based off a painting I saw on pinterest. I have no idea who originally created it, but if anyone does I would love to give credit. I used it as the cover picture for this story.

Tomorrow she would have to kill him.

He lay on his side, dirty blonde curls splayed across closed eyes she once knew to be the softest pale lilac. Asleep he was peaceful, gentle as she remembered him. Awake he was destructive and deadly. He clutched his gloved fingers around her hand, holding on as if afraid she would leave if he let go.

She really should have. Him being there was dangerous at best. She knew that if he figured out who she was he wouldn't hesitate to kill her – it was how he was wired now. A smarter person would have walked away; the warrior that she was should have eliminated the threat without a second thought. Memories from a thousand years ago clouded her brain and judgment, forcing her to hold onto something she wasn't even sure still existed.

 _Two arms clothed in grey wrapped around her middle. "Reina,". He whispered, pressing his lips to the hollow just below her ear. "Did you know your name translates to Queen?"_

" _My father had high expectations for me," she replied softly, turning away. She didn't like to speak of her father, their last confrontation had been less than pleasant. She had been claimed by the Queen of the Moon at birth to carry out a duty of the highest honor, the beautiful Princess of Mars a sailor senshi. It became her birthright, which meant the crown would be passed on to her brother. Her father respected it, but where he once looked at her with eyes of warm violet he now regarded her with a look colder than the winters on Mercury. He resented her for a choice she was never offered to make. "In his eyes I've let him down."_

 _She wouldn't cry, she never did. The tears would hover at the surface, sometimes tickling her lashes but she would never let them fall. Senshi Warriors had no time for tears and fading memories of their lives on their home planets._

 _She blinked and he was in front of her, those bright lilac eyes staring at her so intensely she swore they could see into her soul. They had always shared that special connection, the gift of insight and ability to speak without words. "Perhaps he needs his eyes checked then," he teased lightly, flashing the boyish grin that had made her fall in love with him in the first place, despite it going against everything she had once believed._

 _She studied his face, the way his lips curved into a smile that was slightly crooked and long black eyelashes framed his lavender eyes. Calloused fingers twined through her raven her, his other hand close to being indecently low on her hip._

" _Jadeite," she laughed, firmly moving his gloved hand with her own._

 _He ignored her, replacing his hand on her hip and pulling her flush against him. Her cheeks colored, violet eyes burning into his._

" _I'm being a lousy guard," she grinned, tracing her finger along his cheek bone and resting it on his lips. "I blame you entirely."_

" _Well I can think of a thousand things I'd rather be doing right now instead… Besides," he grinned, nodding his head toward a less than amused looking Zoisite, "Our shift is up."_

… _.._

 _She glanced around tentatively as her cherry red stiletto sunk into the unfamiliar vegetation covering the ground. Grass, perhaps was the word Jadeite had used._

" _Yuck," she mumbled, glaring at the mud caked around the bottom of her heel. A sideways glance to her fellow blue-clad Senshi told her Mercury was having the same problem with the stiletto heels attached to her turquoise boots. Her reaction, however, was one of fascination as she scooped up a sample of mud and grass and placed it in a glass tube._

 _The minute she stepped onto the stone courtyard she felt infinitely better, enough to even flash a grateful smile in Mercury's direction as the water senshi directed a light stream of water towards her heels to remove the offensive mud._

" _Thank you, Amira." The water senshi startled then smiled, placing a gloved hand on the small area of skin between Mars' shoulders and elbow protectors._

" _You used my given name," she observed, her turquoise eyes sparkling in the warm glow emitted from the Earth's sun. "I haven't heard it in a long time."_

" _I don't want us to lose who we are. You are more than the planet you represent and the princess you protect."_

" _It's not like you to be sentimental. Love does funny things to us indeed," she replied with that same sparkle in her eyes as Mars quickly drew her boundaries up around herself._

" _Love?" She shook her head, crossing her arms at her chest. "We gave up any chance at love the moment we accepted our destiny. Our duty, our devotion and love for our princess will always come first and you would be foolish to think otherwise, Mercury."_

 _Mercury took a step back, recoiling from Mars' harsh words. There was a sadness in her eyes, however, that told Mercury she didn't completely believe what she was saying - that it was a defense mechanism to protect her own heart._

 _"I don't think you truly believe that," she countered, crossing her own arms. She followed Mars' eyes to the messy blonde hair of one of Endymion's protectors, Jadeite. His laugh rang across the courtyard as he shoved Zoisite, the latter casting a glare in his direction as he continued to laugh. Mercury's heart fluttered despite herself, her cheeks coloring at the prospect of seeing him. When she turned back she was met with cold violet._

" _I have to believe that."_

… _.._

" _Serenity!" She hissed, grabbing the princess' arm above the elbow. She was too hasty, too eager to be as cautious as she needed to be. Mars cast a worried look at Venus beside her, the blonde senshi nodding gravely in solidarity._

" _Oh lighten up you two, can't I have any fun? Why did I have to be assigned the grumpy senshi's?" She teased in her sing-song voice, pouting when she was met with two frowns. "I'm sorry, I'll behave."_

" _I'll believe_ that _when I see it," Mars murmured, although she did let her gaze soften. As frustrating a charge as she could be Mars was fiercely loyal and held a deep love for her princess. She was flighty, irresponsible, and impulsive at best, but she also held a pure heart and a deep love for her guardians._

 _Mars stood, smoothing her Crimson gown and casting another look in Serenity's direction as if afraid she might take off. It was a floor length, backless number with a long slit along the left side. Her signature cherry red stilettos covered her feet, while a black mask constructed of crows feathers and glittering amethysts covered her eyes. A strategically placed tiara covered the red sign of Mars on her forehead._

 _Venus continued to fuss over Serenity, biting her lip in obvious worry as she checked how secure the pearl tiara covering the yellow crescent moon on Serenity's forehead really was. It was incredibly dangerous for them to be there, she didn't need Kunzite to tell her that. Word of unrest in the Southern regions was common knowledge on Lunara. Queen Serenity would have her head if she knew her daughter was anywhere remotely near Earth, even if Elysion was supposed to be secure._

 _Mars tossed her long raven hair over her shoulder, extending a hand to her young princess. Despite her unrest she smiled; Serenity's optimism and outlook was contagious, it was almost impossible not to when she stared up at Mars with those big blue eyes and full smile._

" _Come on then, let's get this over with…"_

 _The ballroom was lavishly decorated, the ceiling laced with gold. Long velvet drapes hung to the floor, while gold statues of of Elysion's finest lined the walls. She paused at the statue of Jadeite, examining the artists work. He stood tall, proud with his hand on the hilted sword at his hip ready for battle. What impressed her the most was that somehow he had managed to capture the glint in his eye, the tousled curls that refused to be tamed. She traced her finger along the statue's lips, the slightly crooked smile bringing a hint of a smile to her cherry lips despite herself._

" _Like what you see?" A husky voice whispered in her ear as two arms twined around her waist._

" _Perhaps," she replied coyly. "Although Nephrite does look particularly handsome in his."_

" _Oh?" One of his hands left her waist, his finger traveling the length of her bare spine._ _rs_ _She shivered, turning to face him with_ _those big bkueing the ye,_ _a glint in her eye. "Perhaps you should ask him to dance."_

" _Jupiter would have me on my knees," she replied, pressing her palm against his_ _finger traveling the_ _chest and her bare knee between his legs as she leaned in close, lips brushing against his ear. "I'd rather you did."_

 _He groaned as she laughed softly, head falling forward onto her shoulder. "You are a cruel woman."_

" _And you are as predictable as ever," she teased, lacing her fingers through his. "Dance with me now, and perhaps later you'll get lucky."_

 _"Is that a promise?"_

 _"Perhaps." S_ _She dragged him towards the dancefloorh his close and her length of her spinrhe stared up at Mars with those big bkueing tsS_ _he dragged him towards the dance floor, eyes shining as he reached for her and pulled her close. Perhaps things could be almost normal for them, perhaps for once she could lose herself in the moment and let go. Maybe it was the darkness emboldening her, or maybe Serenity was starting to rub off on her, she wasn't sure. Either way, she grasped his collar between her thumbs and forefingers and barely registered the surprised look on his face as she leaned forward to kiss him fully on the mouth._

 _His surprise lasted all of a second before he wrapped his arms around her, and kissed her back enthusiastically, sliding his tongue between her lips._

 _For now there was no one else but them, no paved fate, no royalty to protect. Just Jadeite and Reina, and the fire burning between them._

 _It wasn't until Nephrite whistled that they reluctantly broke apart, cheeks flushed, lips swollen, eyes bright._

 _There was a mumble of "get a room," from Zoisite to which Jadeite promptly responded by raising his middle finger. Reina laughed genuinely, the sound ringing between them. Somehow he always managed to break through her carefully constructed barriers, bringing out the side of her she thought had vanished long ago._

 _A bony shoulder knocked against hers, a strong shiver traveling down her spine immediately following the contact. She sprang to attention, recognizing the feeling of discourse and dread that took over immediately._

" _Hey, watch it!" She called out, standing her ground as the red haired woman spun around. Amethyst eyes locked on blood red, the color so daunting Reina felt her body telling her to step back. She felt the woman's eyes travel to the carefully placed tiara on her forehead, eyes lingering there longer than Reina was comfortable. How could she possibly know?_

" _Beryl," Jadeite spat the name as if it were a foul curse, immediately standing in front of Reina with his hand on his sword, Zoisite and Nephrite flanking his side. "You have no business here."_

" _My invitation must have been lost in the mail," she replied in a voice dripping with malice. Reina felt the urge to recoil back at the hatred in her voice but her senshi side stood strong as she clasped her red henshin wand in her hand._

" _You were not invited," Nephrite replied flatly, hand ready at his hip to draw his sword. "Per direct order from Endymion."_

 _For a moment her eyes flashed with a pain so strong, Reina felt her heart clench in response. Then it was over, and they had shifted back to the hateful blood red._

" _I know what you are," she spat, glaring accusingly at Reina. "And more importantly, I know what_ she _is." Reina followed her eyes to where Endymion and Serenity stood, his arms wrapped protectively around her as she stared with wide eyes and pale cheeks._

" _You know nothing," Kunzite replied in his strong voice, Venus flanking Mars' side._

" _About time," she muttered under her breath, the blonde senshi having the decency to blush apologetically. Her gaze turned hard as she fixed it on Beryl, her own henshin wand clutched tightly in her hand._

" _The days of Elysion are numbered," she continued, a wicked smile spreading across her face. She fixed her glare on Serenity, the pearl tiara shattering under her glare._

" _Venus crystal power!"_

" _Mars crystal power!"_

" _MAKE-UP"_

 _There was a collective gasp across the crowd as Serenity reached to cover her forehead frantically, and the two girls behind the Shitennou erupted in a flurry of fire and orange stars. Beryl just laughed as she examined the shocked crowd._

" _You see? They fraternize with these aliens as if it's normal. They are trying to infiltrate us, to take over the kingdom we fought so hard to build."_

" _Lies!" Venus yelled, gloved fingers wrapping around the heart linked chain slung around her hips. A collective murmur had taken over the crowd as people looked to each other in confusion. "Lunara has no interest in taking over kingdoms, we operate peacefully as we always have. We only seek to offer protection."_

" _You refused us admission into your pathetic Silver Alliance. You seek to destroy us, to take from us what you will and leave us with nothing. You have already poisoned our Prince with your lies and seduction. Long live Terra!" She cried, raising her hand into the air. "Long live Terra, long live –"_

" _Crescent beam!" Gasps broke out as Venus' crescent beam sliced across Beryl's wrist, drawing blood as she halted her cheers. She began to smile, reaching forward to place her hand on Kunzite's cheek._

" _I'll see you soon," she whispered, snapping her long red nails to disappear._

 _Kunzite wiped at his cheek as if it burned, his face murderous with rage. The damage had been done, however. The entire ballroom had fallen silent, frowns and outright glares fixed on Serenity._

" _Go," Kunzite urged, silver eyes fixed on the crowd. "Get her out of here."_

 _Mars wrapped her arms around Serenity's small shoulders, the princess folding into her like a child. A goblet flew over their heads, smashing against the wall as red wine dripped to the floor._

" _Aqua mist!" A voice called out, relief washing over Mars._

" _Thank god." She gripped Mercury's shoulder in gratitude, quickly taking Venus' hand in hers. Serenity stood up straight, shaking slightly as Mercury laced her fingers through hers with a reassuring smile, her grip on Mars' hand never wavering._

" _Sailor Teleport!" Venus called out, a rush of colored wind lifting the girls from their place on the ballroom floor to the plush white carpet of Serenity's bedroom._

 _Mars only dared to exhale when her heels touched the ground, simultaneous relief and dread washing over her. Before she could dwell on it too much Serenity collapsed into her arms, shoulders shaking as she sobbed._

" _Shhh," she whispered, stroking her hair. "Shhh, it will all be alright," she lied, her worried eyes seeking out Mercury's for comfort. Unfortunately her eyes mirrored the same worry, and even Venus, their leader, held the same look of dread in her eyes._

 _When she finally calmed down they busied themselves distracting her by brushing her hair, tying tiny bows throughout her long silver ponytails. They helped her out of her ballgown and into her nightgown, sitting beside her on the plush king size bed until her eyelashes fluttered closed and her breathing evened._

 _They left quietly, the feeling of dread setting in as they shut the door behind them. They would need to update Jupiter, who had been on assignment on her home planet, and tell Queen Serenity of the civil unrest in a way that didn't reveal their presence at the ball. As Mercury began to fill in Jupiter, Venus grabbed Mars' wrist and pulled her aside._

" _What did she mean when she told Kunzite 'I'll see you soon?'" She looked desperate, terrified and completely unlike the warrior Mars was used to. She felt her heart tug at the notion of that wicked woman saying that to Jadeite. It was why they were never meant to fall in love._

" _I don't know," she whispered back, clutching Venus' hands in hers. "But I'm afraid."_

… _.._

 _Her heels clicked as she hurried along the halls, the sound reverberating against the walls. She had put this off for long enough. She slid open the door to the meditation room, clasping her hands together and bowing at the waist before she entered. The eternal fire crackled softly in greeting, recognizing her presence._

 _She clasped an ofuda between her middle and forefinger, closing her eyes to concentrate. "Rin, Pyou, Tou, Sha, Kai, Jin, Retsu, Zai, Zen!"_

 _The flames sprang to life, nearly engulfing the fire senshi but she held her ground, challenging the fire to answer her. A loud snap caused her to open her eyes, the flames dancing around her. An image began to form, cloudy and hazy until it sharpened, her face paling. Jadeite stared back at her with soft eyes and a bright smile, until the flames wrapped around him and his eyes turned blood red, lips curved into a taunting smirk. His white gloves were covered in blood._

" _No!" She gasped, nearly falling forward in her desperation. "No, you are wrong. You have to be wrong!" She screamed back at the flames, slamming the door in her fury. She all but ran back to get to her room, jumping as she closed the door behind her and a hand reached out for her shoulder._

" _Fire so –"_

" _Reina!" He called out, placing his hands up in surrender. "It's just me."_

 _She moved quickly, placing her hands on his cheeks as she desperately searched his eyes. Pale lilac, confusion, hurt, but no red. She exhaled in relief, collapsing against his chest as she shook. She dry heaved but no tears came; senshi's didn't cry._

" _Shh, it's okay. It's okay, everything's okay."_

… _.._

" _Let me see your eyes." He rolled over, tangled in the bedsheets, his hair even more of a mess than normal. She breathed in, pressing her lips to his when she saw lavender irises. It had been two weeks – perhaps the fire had been wrong._

" _What's with the sudden obsession with my eyes anyway?" He splayed his hand across her bare abdomen, tracing lazy circles along her forearm with his other hand._

" _Nothing," she leaned forward to kiss him, effectively distracting him from the worry in her own eyes._

… _.._

 _She raced through the narrow halls, deeper and deeper into the palace until she reached an ancient door intricately carved with crescent moons and entwining jasmine. She pressed her palm against the seam and splayed her fingers, the red insignia of Mars glowing brightly on her forehead. The door dissolved at her touch, granting her entry._

 _She took three steps forward, her heels echoing loudly in the mist. Instantly a large garnet resting in the middle of a long silver key was thrust at her, the figure holding it shrouded in mist._

" _Stop!" The loud voice echoed. Mars kneeled, the toes of her red heels pressing into the ground as she waited. "Reveal yourself or be killed."_

" _Agent of love and fire, I am Sailor Mars," she replied in her strongest voice, bowing her head. "I seek – "_

" _I know what you seek, Sailor Mars, and you must know that it is not within my power to grant you that knowledge."_

" _Lies!" She shrieked, jumping to her feet. "You know the answer, you know what's going to happen. How can you just stand by idly and let it happen?"_

 _The time senshi stepped forward from her cover of mist, her face guarded and garnet eyes cold. Her uniform was obsidian black, from her stiletto boots to her skirt and collar. Deep maroon bows were the only things to break up the black besides her impossibly long emerald hair._

" _Your temper has always been as fiery as the planet you represent. I would not expect you to understand," was her reply, eyes focused elsewhere. "We are both sailor senshi in the basic sense, but I am held to a different set of laws than you are. All I can tell you is you are wasting your time standing here with me. It has already begun."_

 _She raced down the corridors as fast as her red heels would take her, only one thing on her mind: Serenity. All around her people ran frantically, searching for a place to hide where there was none – everyone would perish; they were outnumbered and caught by surprise._

" _Serenity!" She screamed desperately, rage and despair barely registering as she stepped over Mercury's broken body._

" _Mercury," she gasped, kneeling down to clasp her hand around one of hers. She coughed, eyelids barely fluttering open._

" _Reina," she whispered hoarsely, trying to open her eyes. "Call me… By my name. I want to die a person, not a planet."_

" _Amira," she whispered, pressing her lips to her friends forehead. She didn't make false promises that she would be okay – Mercury deserved better than that._

 _"Save... Serenity. Find her."_

 _With a heavy heart she left her friend behind, taking in her surroundings. Jupiter and Nephrite were locked in a heavy battle, lightning crackling between them. Across from them Venus and Kunzite seemed to be doing the same._

" _About time," a completely familiar and simultaneously unfamiliar voice broke through her concentration. She had never heard his voice laced with such hatred. "Your little friend there took out Zoisite. Feisty, until she begged for her life at the end."_

" _Mercury would never do that." One glance up told her what she already knew; his eyes were blood red and his gloves were stained with blood. "Burning mandala!" He dodged her attack and they locked themselves in a battle of wits and flames, ducking, dodging, and hurling attacks as quickly as possible._

" _History will soon be rewritten. Soon Lunara will be nothing but a crater in the side of the moon!"_

" _You would betray your own Prince so easily?" She screamed as one of his flames made contact, singeing the hem of her skirt and her left thigh. She dealt one back quickly, although it wasn't exactly a good feeling to see his face twist in pain as her fire made contact. Was fate so cruel to make her kill the one she thought she loved?_

 _He caught her off guard, his sword slicing through her in one clean stroke. Pain ricocheted through her, blinding her as she clutched the wound, red seeping through the white fabric of her bodice._

 _He laughed as she fell to her knees, her own blood spilling onto her gloves as she tried to hold the wound closed. She was dying – failure washed over her as she realized she wouldn't make it to Serenity._

 _Her heart stopped as she heard a loud scream of_ "ENDYMION!" _To her left, Jadeite's maniacal laughter continuing. Through her hazy vision she watched as Serenity picked up the sword and drove it through her chest, while Mars screamed silently._

" _The Silver Millenium has fallen," he called out confidently, turning his back on the dying senshi of Mars. "The Age of Darkness begins."_

" _I'm not… Done yet," she choked, blood gurgling in the back of her throat. She clasped her hands together, drawing on whatever power she had left inside of her. "Fire… Soul."_

 _The flames erupted from the tips of her index fingers, catching him off guard as they engulfed him. He screamed, falling to his knees beside her as the flames burned on, fueled by her despondency and rage. When his body finally crumpled to the ground, scorched and lifeless, she let her eyes fall closed as her broken body fell._

 _She would die a failure, with nothing left in the world._

… _.._

Perhaps he simply thought of her as a potential energy supply, but she knew better than that. When he approached her coming back from school he looked like he'd seen a ghost. Beryl's manipulation of his mind was too strong for him to recognize her for who she really was, but even Beryl couldn't penetrate his heart. The way he'd looked at her was enough to prevent her transforming on the spot. Enough to let her offer him a place to sleep at the shrine, enough to let her lie beside him wide awake with his hand wrapped around hers while he slept peacefully.

She hadn't even taken off her shoes. She was being an idiot.

He started to stir, eyes still pressed closed as he smiled peacefully. "You know that was the first night I can remember that I've slept without nightmares." Her heart fluttered and for a foolish moment she almost expected to be greeted by lavender eyes. When his eyelids did open to reveal bright red irises she almost choked.

He looked concerned, sitting up quickly and placing a hand on her shoulder. "Hey are you okay?" He shook his head, straightening out his charcoal grey jacket with the crimson piping. It was only then she realized that they matched, as he ran his hand along her charcoal grey sailor collar lined in red. "You're so beautiful, I've never seen anyone like you," he confessed, tracing the outline of the crimson bow at her chest. He leaned forward, resting a gloved hand tentatively on the bare skin between her charcoal grey pleated skirt and the stripe at the top of her knee socks. "I don't even know your name."

"Rei," she choked, clearing her throat. She sat stock still as he ran his fingers through her thick raven hair, staring at her with curiosity. "Rei." She tried not to focus on the way her name sounded on his tongue, the way his fingers felt on her thigh or wound through her hair.

"Kaidou." She almost laughed dryly; of course he would use an alias and one that meant 'secretive' at that.

"You're wrong you know." He looked up, frowning slightly as she stood to place distance between them. She almost laughed again - he'd never liked being told he was wrong and would argue to the bitter end even when he was clearly wrong. "You do know me."

"No," he replied confidently, standing tall with his arms crossed. How she wished those eyes were lavender instead of crimson as she clutched her henshin wand in her pocket. "I wouldn't forget someone so beautiful."

She closed her eyes, breathing in the moment before she would ruin it. He stepped towards her, reaching for her cheek but she turned away and took a deep breath before she tossed her wand into the air.

"Mars Power, MAKE-UP!"

He stared unashamedly as her clothes melted away, fire dancing around her naked skin to create her senshi fuku. With a rush of fiery wind she stood before him, more beautiful and terrible than her human form, blazing violet eyes locked on his.

"You – "

Before he could speak she gripped the collar of his military jacket between her gloved fingers, kissing him full and hard with everything in her. At first she met nothing, but just as she moved to pull away he gripped the bow at her lower back to hold her against him. Her hands moved through his hair while her tongue tangled with his, drinking in every inch of him that she could.

When she pulled away his eyes were dangerous, never again to look at her the way he once did.

"It will always be duty before love," she whispered, pressing her cherry lips to his forehead. The fiery signs of Mars glowed bright in the palms of her hands as she fixed her gaze on his.

"Raging inferno!" Her fire surrounded him – it was a blitz attack, he never stood a chance. Seconds before the flames consumed him their eyes met again, amethyst and lilac, and he nodded in understanding. 'Thank you,' he mouthed, as he pressed his eyes closed.

The fire raged until there was nothing left to burn, a small jade green gem all that remained on her bedroom floor. She fell to her knees, clutching the gem to her lips.

Then, for the first time ever, tears spilled from the fire senshi's eyes. _f on her, but the usue usually dening her, or maybe Serenity was starting to rub off on her, but the usuhose big bkueing the ye_


End file.
